


Sixteen Days

by MessOfCurls



Series: Wax and Wane [9]
Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Best Friends, Bromance, Bromance to Romance, Childhood Friends, Climbing Class, College, Developing Relationship, Dorms, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Hand Jobs, M/M, Netflix and Chill, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Pre-Game(s), Smut, chibi bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 10:18:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7098691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MessOfCurls/pseuds/MessOfCurls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two weeks after the college roommates begin to work out their feelings for each other, an impromptu movie night leads to Chris and Josh taking their relationship to the next level.</p><p>Bromance to romance. Shameless fluff and smut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sixteen Days

**Author's Note:**

> Song recs:  
> Roses - The Chainsmokers  
> Let's Get Out of Here - Les Savy Fav

“What?”

Josh stood in the doorway, able to do little else in the limited space that nearly saw him walking straight into a combination of bed frame, sheets and headboard. It took him a moment to work out what he was looking at before it began to make sense, yet the confusion remained fresh and vivid on his face, accompanied by a disbelieving smile. He edged around the headboard into the room and took in the structure from the new angle.

He’d actually gone and done it.

“...What?” he repeated, genuinely at a loss.

“Finally.”

Chris’ voice came to him unseen through the screen of sheets. Curiosity besting him, Josh found a seam and pulled back one of the sheets to look inside.

Josh’s bed, usually at home against the wall to his left, stood conspicuously out of place in the middle of the room, filling the gap that usually separated their two territories. His bedding had also made the migration to the new location, though the arrangement was different - his comforter, pillows and blankets lost among Chris' own ample supply, all carefully fashioned into the sight that greeted him. A bank of cushions and pillows flanked the sides of the conjoined beds, the mattresses melding seamlessly together beneath layers of down and wool to form something greater than the sum of its meagre parts. And there in the very centre of it all - reclining on the bed against a clutch of pillows, surrounded by cushions like a sultan sans harem - was the architect of the patchwork masterpiece.

The smile on Chris' face broadened into a fully fledged grin and he held out his arms, proudly gesturing to his creation. “Well?”

“Didn’t you have classes?” Josh asked, peering around.

“Class was cancelled and you selfishly left me all alone to pursue your education or whatever. What was I supposed to do?”

Josh laughed incredulously and shook his head to himself, his disbelief not quite subsided. For someone who was rarely serious about anything, Chris had, rather surprisingly, taken the whole thing to heart and brought life to something that had been a throwaway comment at most. Humouring the blond, Josh took a moment to scrutinise his handiwork. “How did you even do this?”

“Don’t underestimate the power of patience and a staple gun.”

Josh ran his fingers over the tie to a bathrobe which held the headboards together. “Are we gonna be able to take this apart?”

“You can _try_ , but I’m pretty sure I invented, like, three new knots putting this bad boy together.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“...You like it?”

Josh wasn’t annoyed that his bed had been commandeered - the two friends having operated a ‘what's yours is mine’ policy for years - it was just surprising; pretty much the last thing he’d expected to come back to after class. In fact, the thought of his roommate spending his free time rigging it up coupled with the earnest way Chris was looking at him had Josh smirking despite himself. “It's… something.”

“Hey, I know it's no Fort Awesome, but it’s the best I could do.”

At this, Josh's smile softened.

Fort Awesome. A day in the making but its legacy lived on. It wasn’t the first hideout they’d built - back in the days of army men, treasure maps and games of their own devising - but it was by far the best. It seemed huge in his memory, taking up most of his family’s rec room. So large, in fact, that it was almost redundant within the confines of the walls, thanks to connecting tunnels and cushioned antechambers branching off from a blanket-filled hub. With his best friend’s help, armfuls of his sisters’ bedding, all the fresh linen pilfered from the airing closet and copious amounts of couch cushions, they’d made it their own. However, whilst building blanket forts had been their forte (bad pun intended, if the blond had anything to do with it), naming them was not.

He hadn’t thought about it for a long time, but the memory of yet another day spent in the company of his best friend widened his smile of its own accord.

“It’ll do.” Josh shrugged, and a look from his friend made his smile grow crooked. “It’s pretty awesome.” he conceded, finally.

“Damn right it’s pretty awesome.” Chris muttered as he matched Josh’s smile and sank back against the mattress with an exaggerated groan of relaxation. “You coming in?” He laid his arm along the pillows in invitation. “We can just chill or…?”

“Chill?”

There was nothing more to the gesture - Chris hadn’t even thought of it like that - but when Josh quirked an eyebrow, he belatedly realised the implication.

“Not like…” Chris paused then seemed to reconsider, treating Josh to an exaggerated wiggle of his eyebrows _“Well…”_

He laughed and glanced away momentarily, disguising his oversight with a well-placed smile as he met Josh’s gaze again. “I thought maybe we could order takeout, watch a movie. Whatever.” He gave a noncommittal shrug and gestured to the laptop perched on the desk at the foot of the bed. But even as he made the suggestion, something occurred to him that lessened his smile. “Wait, are you busy later? You didn't mention anything.”

It was a safe assumption most days that if Josh wasn’t busy, he could be found spending his time with the very same blond who was currently looking up at him with a faltering smile. Saying that they spent a lot of time together was a total understatement. Even back home when they hadn’t been sharing a room, the pair had seen each other day in day out, Josh’s health permitting. But it felt a little different now. 

_Nothing I can't cancel._

“Nope.” Josh let his backpack slip from his shoulder, kicked off his shoes and knelt on the mattress, letting the sheets close behind him. “Free as a bird.”

~*~

_Four days_

“When are you going to get a car?”

“When you get a licence.” Chris replied matter-of-factly.

Sitting at the back of an otherwise empty bus heading to the dorms with slush, snowbanks and a grey blur of traffic passing them by, the subject of Chris’ lack of wheels was low-hanging fruit. With a tendency to spend his allowance on the latest phone or gadget and having the convenience of his mom's car to fall back on, Chris' car fund had barely grown in the years since he'd first gotten behind the wheel.

“You know I can't.”

Josh didn’t need to elaborate. Unlike his companion, the brunette was a little more restricted with some of his life choices. Changes in medication over the years had put learning to drive squarely on the list of things Josh couldn’t do anytime soon.

“Yeah, you say that, but I think you like having a chauffeur.”

“A chauffeur would let me pick the music sometimes.”

“Quit complaining. You know you love my tunes.”

Josh smiled broadly, going some way to matching Chris’ grin, then fell quiet. He turned to the steamed up window beside him and cleaned the glass with his sleeve before looking out at the road, and his smile became a pensive look that Chris knew well; something more than just plain thoughtful.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

Unconvinced, Chris gave him a sceptical look. “J, come on.”

Josh was quiet, but after a few seconds of expectant silence, he hesitantly found his voice. “I just keep wondering... you know… Why you didn’t say anything before?”

It took Chris a moment to work out what his friend was talking about, but when Josh turned back from the window and met his gaze, it clicked. “Hey, don’t try to pin this on me. You didn’t say anything either.”

No matter how he spun it, Josh couldn’t deny it. Chris’ out of the blue confession still left him craving answers, but it wasn’t like Josh had volunteered many of his own. Even armed with the benefit of hindsight, his lack of self-awareness or perhaps his reluctance to recognise what he now saw were his blatantly obvious feelings for the blond, was mystifying. And so the very same question he was asking Chris niggled at him, too. Why hadn’t he said something sooner?

“I don’t know. It didn’t seem like… I guess I didn’t know? I mean, I thought you liked girls.” He searched Chris' eyes. “Ashley?”

It was a fair point. Chris’ crush on their mutual friend had been the topic of many conversations throughout their teenage years, mostly focusing on Chris' reluctance to actually do anything about it. He'd had ample opportunity to make something happen, received countless pep talks from Josh and Sam, but nothing ever came of it. Hell, he'd been pining for her as recently as Senior Prom and still hadn't asked her to go with him - a prime example of yet another time he'd backed out of making a move. 

“I do. It’s…” Chris pondered the question, his expression uncharacteristically thoughtful while he gave it the importance it deserved. “Yeah, but I guess…”

He hadn’t really thought about it before. It had never been a question of guys or girls; it had simply been a question of who. It was strange thinking about it, having to come up with an answer to something he hadn't properly considered before. At a bit of a loss, he fell back on his go to: humour.

“I guess I’m just… kinda gay for you, bro.” He broke into a grin.

Josh matched his smile, reluctant amusement tugging at his lips, but there was still a little doubt behind his eyes as he tugged at his hat. Josh was sensitive, more delicate than he sometimes let on, and right then it was showing. Despite being the younger of the pair, Chris had always been protective of his best friend - perhaps a little too protective at times if Mike’s opinion was anything to go by, but what did he know? Regardless, it seemed like Josh was hoping for something more substantial than a cheap joke. 

“I didn’t know about you either. What you'd do, you know?” Chris tried again.

He was getting uncomfortably tangled in the maze of thoughts his mind had wandered down in days gone by. He didn't know how he'd got caught up in this weird blame game, but perhaps he knew how to bring an end to it.

“Because I’m stupid. Happy?”

At this, Josh snickered, but it wasn't mean. After all, Chris was actually trying and doing a better job than he ever could.

“Seriously though.” Chris held Josh’s gloved hand in his own and the humour drained from his voice. “...I like you.”

_A lot._

“I didn’t say it before, but I do. You know that, right?” Not knowing what else to say, Chris fell quiet.

Josh looked down at their hands. “Okay.”

Nodding softly, Josh’s gaze returned to the window. When no more words came, Chris blinked, slack-jawed with mock indignation. “You did not just leave me hanging like that.”

It seemed that Josh had indeed intended to leave Chris’ sentiments to linger in the air, but at the first hint of faux outrage, he broke into a smile, his show of nonchalance betrayed by the mild mischief in his eyes. 

With Chris's hand held loosely in his own, he leaned in closer. “...I like you too.”

~*~

“No, man. Natasha Henstridge was in Species. Natasha _Lyonne_ was in All About Evil.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. How can you even get them mixed up?”

“I knew it was a Natasha, give me that much.”

Josh smirked, but it wasn't cruel, and he didn’t protest when the blond answered it with a soft nudge. Despite the many hours they'd spent watching movies together, Josh eager to educate Chris on one of his passions, not everything always sunk in. Smile softening, Josh shifted upon the comforter and rest his head in the crook of Chris’ neck once more.

They’d dispensed with their everyday clothes some time back, both opting for more suitable lounging attire - Chris donning the loose-fitting sweats and t-shirt that he lived in on those days when leaving the dorm room wasn’t top of their list of things to do, while Josh had exchanged boots and jeans for pajama pants. But it was a wise, pre-emptive decision. If experience had taught them anything, it was a simple tried and tested equation: number of blankets times the length of time spent inside a fort equaled the greater the possibility of falling asleep. If the comfort of their surroundings beneath the blanket canopy was anything to go by, an impromptu nap was a very real possibility.

The arm around Josh’s shoulders shifted beneath him and idle fingers stroked light and gentle through his hair. With a contented exhale, Josh pulled the dislodged blanket up over his waist and his gaze returned to the laptop at the foot of the bed. The movie was his choice, as was often the case - Chris happy to let him make the decision for them when it came to viewing material. He must’ve seen it at least a dozen times, but it was easy watching - the best kind when Chris’ penchant for talking over key scenes seemed to be in full force. Though the laptop didn’t quite do it justice, it was doing a good enough job.

“We should get a projector or something.” Josh mused.

“There’s not enough wall space, is there?”

A slight shrug. “Maybe not.”

“I guess we could look on eBay or--”

“Wait…” Josh cut his friend short, placing his hand on Chris’s chest, his eyes still on the screen as he propped himself up on one elbow. “This is such a good setup… Watch what the-- you see how the camera tracks towards him but zooms out at the same time and makes it all kinda woozy?” He paused to watch, his eyes trained on the screen. “That, my friend, is what we in the business call a ‘dolly zoom’.”

When no reply came, Josh turned to Chris, amused. “You’re not even listening, are you?”

“Yeah, I heard you. Dolly zoom. Woozy. I got it.”

Somewhat but not quite appeased, Josh settled back against Chris’ chest, a reassuring weight against his side. But Chris hadn’t been watching, not properly, content to witness the way his friend's face lit up as he took in the screen instead, so much unsaid going on behind those dark green eyes. He liked seeing Josh in his comfort zone like this, distracted by the right sort of things for once.

The room fell into easy silence, their relaxed, sprawling bodies in sharp juxtaposition with the dramatic musical score and the terrified screams of panicked beachgoers punctuating the quiet.

“Who knew sharks like eating children so much.”

Josh chuckled softly against his chest. “I know, right?”

“If I was a shark I’d be eating fat guys or seals or something, not wasting my time with kids.”

“...Fat guys?” Josh peered up at him.

“Hey dude, you can’t judge a shark.”

“That's exactly what we're doing.”

“Whatever. You know it makes sense.” Chris dismissed the comment with a grin. “...You hungry?”

Josh tore his gaze from the cloudy, bloody water. “Really? This is making you hungry?”

Chris shrugged. “All this talk of seals… S’on me, if you wanna.”

Josh considered the offer. He could try to pretend he wasn’t swayed, but with Chris already unlocking his phone with a swipe of his thumb, protest would do little good.

“…I could eat.”

~*~

_Ten days_

“He totally looks like him.”

Chris frowned. “I don't see it.”

Keeping up with the blond beside her, Zoe tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “He does! Take away the glasses and he totally does.”

Chris shook his head. “Yeah, and take away, like, six inches of height. Then yeah, maybe he _sort of_ looks like him.”

The him in question was one of their lecturers - his new friend convinced that the fifty-something bore an uncanny resemblance to Tom Cruise. He wanted to agree, but no matter how much he'd squinted through the class, Zoe nudging him at random intervals to remind him of her opinion about it, he just didn't see it. 

“Well only one of us is wearing glasses, so…”

Chris chuckled, breath steaming the air as he hitched up his shoulder bag. “Whatever you say.”

The vibration of Chris’ phone in his coat pocket saw his chuckling trail off as he excused himself, stopping on the path to check it with his classmate waiting patiently beside him.

One letter and a familiar picture.

_J._

“Hey, where are you?”

“I’m here.”

“...No, you’re not.”

“Cold.”

Ah. So this was how he wanted to play it. He knew this game. Chris turned on the spot and scanned his surroundings.

“Warm.”

Chris slowed and looked for a familiar figure among the bundled up students passing through the quad.

“Warmer…”

With a ‘bear with me’ gesture of his hand to Zoe, Chris took a few steps forward.

“Hot.”

_There you are._

Josh was leaning up against the trunk of a tree some twenty paces away. When Chris spotted him, Josh broke into a smile that spread a warm, pleasant feeling through the blond's veins. Mission accomplished, Chris ended the call and beckoned the brunette over with a tilt of his head. 

“Hey, man.”

Boots crunching in the shallow snowfall, Josh approached and sidled up to the blond. In the wake of a brief hug, he looked from Chris to his friend and back again.

“So, J, this is Zoe. She’s in my class. Zoe, this is Josh, my…”

...What was he? A week or so ago it would've been an easy introduction to make, but how was he supposed to finish that? Chris looked thoughtful for a moment, then recovered. 

“...Josh.” Chris' smile grew as he made a show of mulling it over. “He’s my Josh.” he said more firmly with a shrug, satisfied with the answer, “If you ever need one.”

~*~

“Done.” Chris handed his phone to Josh. “Thirty minutes or your money back.”

“Nice.”

Josh placed the phone on the nightstand then unpaused the movie before rejoining Chris at the head of the bed, settling against the arm stretched across the pillow behind him.

“Comfy?”

“Mhm.”

With a relaxed sigh, Chris settled and the movie played on, recapturing their attention. He was only really half-watching, content to relax with his friend beside him. Usually they were restricted to one of their single beds and the space within the fort seemed luxurious by comparison, tempting him to spread out and take advantage of the generous space, but with Josh beside him, he thought better of it. As time passed, he felt the lure of sleep relax his limbs, but it soon dissipated when he felt Josh’s fingers curling loosely around his hand and the pad of a thumb stroking across his palm.

And just like that, Chris wasn’t quite so interested in the plight of Amity Island anymore.

They'd always been close - light touches and stolen glances commonplace between them. Perhaps that had always been the way of things, but it was difficult to remember clearly when everything they did seemed to carry more weight than before. It was like they’d just been practicing till now, rehearsing for this new place they found themselves in, where every gesture meant something more. Still… how could such a simple touch have his heart thudding just that little bit harder?

Perhaps sensing his distraction, Josh gave Chris a sidelong glance and the brunette’s fingers laced with his own. Something close to a smile graced Josh's lips before his attention returned to the laptop.

Two weeks in this new place - sixteen days if you wanted to be picky - and it seemed like a lifetime and no time at all since he’d first dared to say anything; giving voice to a confession that had Josh looking up at him with overblown pupils before he dared to cross that invisible line and venture a kiss. Two weeks and it had been good; so strangely similar to before, but different all at once. They’d be joking one moment, the same as always, then break off to share a look, both of them knowing that... they liked each other. It was a thing, a real thing. It was strange, but a good kind of strange.

Feeling Chris’ gaze upon him, Josh turned his head to meet it, amused. “What?”

“Nothing.” Chris gave Josh's hand a gentle squeeze, then, indulging the urge rising in his chest, placed a fleeting kiss on the brunette's forehead before relaxing against the pillows with a contented sigh.

A soft smile played on Josh’s lips - warm, pleasant and contemplative - lighting up his face in a strangely wonderful way before it was gone all too quickly, lost in movement as he leaned over to plant a kiss on Chris’ lips. Chris couldn't help matching his smile, but instead of returning to the inviting lure of the pillow mound, Josh lingered, close and quiet, as if toying with something. Green eyes regarded Chris silently a moment longer before Josh closed the gap between them, his mouth pressing tentatively against his own. When Josh’s tongue ghosted lightly across his parted lips, Chris closed his eyes.

This was it: the part of the new place that Chris was still getting used to, but the part he found himself thinking about in his idle moments; inspiring the thoughts that kept him awake while Josh slept, utterly oblivious. Sometimes it was a kiss to the temple; quickly snatched while the brunette worked at his desk. Other times it was a simple press of lips that left soft smiles in their wake. And sometimes it was this: something deeper, something more that closed his eyes and made him feel too warm in his own skin.

With Josh’s mouth warm and convincing against his own, Chris lost himself to an unhurried string of kisses, ignorant to anything else until the music from the laptop reached a dramatic crescendo and had Josh chuckling against his chin.

“Kinda distracting, huh?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

He thought to say something more - a bevy of shark puns coming to him thick and fast - but the truth was that with Josh this close, his mouth forming a crooked smile and breath warm against his skin, Chris found that he didn’t really want to.

He hadn’t noticed that his glasses were askew till Josh removed them and leaned over to place them on the nightstand. Following his lead, Chris sat up and scootched down the mattress to pause the movie, but in his haste knocked it off the desk where it fell unseen to the floor beyond the flimsy walls of their hideout. 

“Shit, dude. Sorry. I--”

“Leave it.”

With persuasive fingers wrapped around his wrist, Chris obeyed without question and returned to Josh, who hurriedly met his lips again.

They’d fallen asleep in the same bed many times before - a tangled mess of limbs and gentle snores - but this was distinctly different. Side by side, Josh’s breath quickened as strong arms gathered him up, Chris’s hand a gentle weight on the small of his back. He tried to relax into it, but it was difficult when every little thing set his senses on edge. The comforter rustled beneath them, loud within the haven of blankets, as Chris shifted against him and slipped his leg between Josh’s thighs. His hand crept beneath his t-shirt, light yet possessive against his skin; his mouth warm, wet and coaxing…

Josh broke the kiss and edged back, arching away from Chris’ touch, leaving a quizzical look and an unasked question on the blond’s lips.

Chris went to speak, but hesitated. Perhaps he’d been wrong to think Josh was one hundred percent okay with the route they were heading down. He’d seemed keen enough moments before, but maybe Chris hadn’t read him right; his own feelings clouding his judgement. Maybe it wasn’t as okay as he’d assumed.

He loosened his hold on the brunette, leaving his arm to rest as a mild hindrance around Josh’s waist.

Maybe. But he could wait, content to let Josh dictate the pace. 

“I, uh.. I…” Josh gave Chris a self-conscious smile. “You um…” He swallowed. “...got me kinda worked up.” He felt the colour spreading across his cheeks, caused by more than the warmth of dishevelled bedding and the close air trapped beneath the canopy.

Chris blinked, rendered temporarily dumb. He'd seen Josh falter before, seen him bashful and hesitant under different circumstances, but he hadn't seen the new thing that lurked behind his friend's eyes and stained his olive skin with a rosy tinge. Without thinking, his gaze flicked downwards, but didn’t linger, the quick glance enough to confirm that, though disguised by plaid and dim light, Josh wasn’t kidding.

“...I don't mind.” Chris said finally.

_...What?_

Even as he said it, Chris questioned his choice of words and cringed. What the heck did he even mean by that? What didn’t he mind? But he'd said it now, whatever it meant.

“I mean…” He glanced away then gave an exaggerated sigh. “I’m usually much better at this.” Smoothing back brown hair, he offered Josh a self-deprecating smile.

_Yeah, you’re a real Don Juan. Smooth AF._

They never really talked about it in detail - there wasn't much to talk about - but Josh knew his track record and vice versa, more or less; enough so that the statement was very much at his own expense. While other boys in highschool went out chasing girls, the pair had spent their time either dithering on the sidelines or too wrapped up in their own little world to make their mark on the dating scene. The idea that either of them knew what the hell they were doing as far as this kind of stuff went bordered on laughable and they both knew it.

Stroking reassuring lines along Josh’s waist, Chris’ humble smile became muddled by something other than simple awkwardness as he took in the sight of his friend beside him. Josh looked back at him from across the pillows, neither amused nor unamused, but with something new and indefinable in his gaze that Chris didn’t recognise; foreign to his friend’s familiar features, yet somehow managing to get under his skin. For a moment he couldn’t think straight; flushed cheeks; the hand loosely holding his arm; and the way Josh was looking at him, just a simple look; all of it distracting the part of his brain that usually tossed out replies and quips with ease.

He fumbled for something to say, but before he could ruin the moment with more poorly chosen words, Josh leaned into a kiss, and the sure hand against Chris’ chest was enough to dispel any lingering uncertainty.

Chris gently pulled Josh against him and held him close, and a sock-clad heel brushed against his calf as Josh slowly hooked a leg over his own. With Josh hard against his thigh, Chris let his hands wander; one stroking through brown hair while the other followed the curve of Josh’s backside through plaid fabric. It wasn’t long before the press of Josh’s hips against his own had Chris stirring against the brunette’s stomach, confirming everything he’d felt but hadn’t quite had the guts to act on; reaffirming the part of him that secretly craved more than mere light touches and wanted all the things that left no room for ambiguity or misinterpretation.

He let Josh take his hand without protest and another unasked question began to surface, but before Chris could utter a word, Josh slipped their hands between them and pressed his palm firmly against the hard curve of taut fabric.

It seemed like being okay with it wasn’t Josh’s problem after all.

_What the hell now?_

There were some things they didn’t teach in school - basic life skills like how to manage your money or cook something more advanced than a TV dinner. What to do when your best friend put your hand on their crotch definitely fell into the category of ‘things I wish someone had run by me’ as far as Chris was concerned. Stone cold sober with someone he actually cared about, this was as far as he'd gone, the limit of his experience, and there was something both exciting and sort of terrifying about that. 

Pushing past jumbled nerves, he caressed Josh through his clothes, timidly at first, then more firmly as the last traces of hesitance left him, spurred on by hitched breath. “S’that…?”

“Mm… Mmhm...” Josh gave a slight nod and murmured unsteady approval against Chris' lips before he claimed them again.

Josh was still and quiet against him, his fingers softly pawing at a handful of Chris's t-shirt held loosely in his grip. Encouraged, Chris touched him with more conviction, teasing more soft sounds of appreciation from his bedmate, and with each passing second, his confidence grew.

Josh's hand found Chris' side, anchoring him in place as slow, firm strokes through his clothes threatened to set him off balance. Despite what he'd thought, he wasn't prepared. Self love was one thing, but this was something else.

He’d overcome the nerves and doubts that made him edge away at first by reminding himself that, whatever happened, it was Chris. If anyone could laugh off something like this, his best friend could. But, most persuasive of all, he wanted this. _Really_ wanted it. Every flicker of tongue and press of hips against his own had pushed bashfulness and thoughts of rejection to one side. He wanted him to, it was that simple. When he stopped overthinking it and dressing it up, it all boiled down to that.

Chris opened his eyes when Josh pulled back to meet his gaze. Expecting more hesitance, he prepared himself to reassure Josh that everything was a-okay. But there was nothing uncertain about the dark green eyes looking back at him or the hand slinking beneath his t-shirt. The space between Josh’s lips was an inviting black cavern full of promising shadows, his exposed hip a tempting sliver of skin. No, right then it didn’t seem like reassurance was what Josh wanted.

Josh’s hands went to the waistband of his pajamas and hesitantly edged them down a little, revealing a touch more skin. He was being forward, he knew that, but it was hard not to when Chris’ touch had him yearning for more than a fumble through his clothes and the blood singing in his veins. He paused uncertainly, searching Chris' eyes while he worked up the nerve to move again. A final exchange of glances, a slight pause, and he slowly eased them farther down.

Chris didn’t move, transfixed by exposed skin. No fleeting stolen glance this time, nuh-uh, not with coarse dark hair framing aching need just inches from his fingertips.

_Don’t. Say. Anything._

Taking his own advice, Chris stayed silent while he ran appreciative fingers over Josh’s hip, trailing cautiously along his bare thigh. With his heart beating hard in his chest and the sight laid out before him suggesting more than enough consent for him to act less hesitantly this time, he lowered his hand.

_“...I don’t mind.”_

Josh's eyes closed at his touch, accompanied by a small, sharp intake of breath.

No, he didn’t mind. Not one bit.

He thought he knew Josh back to front, better than anyone else in the world. It turned out he didn't know him at all. He’d seen the broad spectrum of emotions possessed by the guy he'd known since forever, but not this. This was new ground. But he was learning quickly; taking in each reaction; every sound and shift; memorising the subtle, silent shapes of his mouth. The feeling of Josh warm and hard in his hand lit up his senses, as if the sight alone of flushed eager skin wasn’t making his blood heat, wasn’t pulsing fast and ruthless between his own legs.

Josh looked down between them before kissing Chris again, more urgently this time. It was different to how he’d imagined it, and boy had he spent some time doing that. There were all the things he’d never considered before, like the familiar scent of fabric softener and that hard to place aroma distinct to Chris alone that accompanied each shallow breath, and the sounds of Chris’ own breath; quick and even against his skin. Even the way Chris’ hand felt around him was unexpected, so similar to those practice runs but undeniably different. He wasn’t in control, not in this scenario, but that only encouraged the subtle rocking of his hips into Chris’ touch. 

His hand returned to the blond’s waist, dithering at his hip.

His fantasies had been selfish and self-indulgent; one-sided affairs all about what he wanted. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about what it would be like to touch Chris, to sate his curiosity and feel him up close in a brand new way. 

The backs of his fingers brushed against the skin of Chris’ stomach as they slipped beneath the waistband of his sweatpants.

_You're thinking too much._

Another firm stroke through Chris’ sure grip and Josh was fumbling between them, Chris’ hand stilling as Josh unpicked the drawstring of his sweatpants and pulled them down just enough, meeting no resistance.

Chris exhaled unsteadily through pursed lips when Josh reciprocated with slow deliberate drags of his hand. Josh didn’t know about the times he’d thought about this; how he'd imagined the way his skin would feel, how he’d react; about him doing the things Chris would never ask for but secretly hoped he'd do. They were the thoughts of any hot-blooded teenager, but right then - with Josh making sounds he’d never heard from him before, each breathy little moan coupled with the brunette’s eager hand - it seemed like so much more than that.

Thoughts thick with sex, Josh licked his palm before his hand returned to Chris, and the fingers of the other splayed in blond hair as he pulled him into a kiss. It was better than some idle fantasy dreamt up by a hormonal mind late at night. It was unscripted, unrehearsed and sort of clumsy, but perfect at the same time. Just knowing that Chris was doing it, that he wanted to, was going a long way. God, and he felt good. He’d thought he would, but not quite like this, not quite this much.

_Fuck…_

Josh relished the soft moan his touch provoked and couldn’t help matching it when he smoothed his thumb over Chris and it came away slick. Pressing his forehead to Chris’ cheek, Josh’s hand quickened.

The blond could sense the end approaching when Josh held his breath in his chest, everything stilling except his hand as his eyes squeezed shut, his grip firm on the nape of Chris’ neck. It was quiet, vague, stifled; little more than a strained huff of air uttered in a tone so utterly foreign to his friend that it opened Chris’ eyes to the sight of Josh making a face Chris had never seen before as his breath trembled between his lips.

Chris kissed him hard. He was responsible for Josh’s unsteady breath and the moans of relief, muffled by Josh's mouth against his own. He’d done that, and there was something strangely intoxicating about that undeniable fact. His veins hummed with a potent mix of need and satisfaction, but it was fleeting, outweighed by the feeling of Josh in his hand, thumb and fingers sticky with his release. He could feel it catching up to him, quickly building until he was nearly there on the edge of something he'd only ever experienced alone. With Josh stroking him with barely restrained insistence, Chris gave in; a soft, low moan escaping him. 

It took a long moment for his breath to even out and his raised pulse to slow as the last remnants of warm relief diffused throughout his body. Josh's breath against his cheek became a contagious sound of muted mirth and, still gathering up his scattered thoughts, Chris found himself echoing it. Eventually he opened his eyes, belatedly realising that Josh was looking down between them. Chris followed his gaze.

_Ah._

“Dude, I--”

“Don’t…” Josh gave Chris a breathless smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

Moving carefully, Josh gingerly pulled his t-shirt up over his head before balling it up and running it over his stomach. After giving himself a cursory once over, he hitched up his pajamas and offered the rather sad looking garment to Chris.

“You sure?”

“Yeah…” Josh nodded as Chris took it from him, lying back against the comforter. “I'll send you the bill.”

With a contented exhale, Josh closed his eyes. In the wake of nerves and uncertainty, he felt light and heavy all at once; his limbs afflicted by a pleasant looseness while his mouth formed a smile he couldn’t quite shake. Once Chris had regained some modesty, Josh leaned over to dump the shirt beyond the walls of the fort before flopping back against the bed. Naked from the waist up save for the bracelets strung around his wrist, Josh ran his hand over his own stomach till he felt Chris’ arm wrap loosely around his waist. He rolled his head on the pillow and was met with blue eyes looking back at him. “Well?”

Chris leaned over and kissed him before sinking back against the pillows with the very same stupid smile playing on his lips. _“Well…”_

~*~

_Minus three thousand two hundred and eighty five days_

“But we already built it.” Josh’s brow creased as he picked anxiously at his sleeve. He’d already sort of promised it would be okay. Faced with the looming threat of having to go back on his word, he was feeling a little desperate. “We won’t make a mess and I promise we’ll tidy it up and we won’t take food in or _anything_.”

He was throwing out all sorts of promises as bargaining chips - some more easily kept than others - but if that’s what it took then what other choice did he have? With the rain lashing outside, the blanket fort had been Chris’ idea, but now that it was finally finished and looked _so awesome_ , the idea of having to dismantle it - disappointing not only himself but his best friend, too - had his stomach tied up in a worried knot. If only his mom could see inside it then she’d know. It was _so good_ , the best they’d ever made. Even Chris thought so. Girls just didn’t understand these things.

“You won’t even know we’re in there, we won’t be loud.” he added, hoping his entreaty wouldn’t fall on deaf ears.

“Where are your sisters supposed to sleep?” Mel asked patiently.

The simple question stilled his tongue. In his haste, Josh hadn’t even considered where his sisters might sleep, bereft of bedding. The idea of inviting them inside wrinkled his nose.

“Can’t they just…” Josh frowned thoughtfully. “Well then, they can have their stuff back.” he conceded reluctantly, “But… but maybe we can keep the rest? Just for now? It’s not _forever_.”

He searched for something else he could say to convince her, but with his options exhausted, he came up with nothing.

“Just one night?” He looked up at her and flashed a hopeful, if not pleading smile. “Pleeease?”

Melinda Washington looked down at her son’s earnest expression and stifled her amusement. It was always difficult to say no when he was like this; so unabashedly adamant that he could somehow win her over and change her mind. The problem was, he often could.

“...Okay. I’ll call Jackie and see if she minds, but if she says no then that’s that.”

It was a yes, no matter the stipulation. That was enough to bring a smile to Josh’s face. “Thanks, mom.”

He was halfway out the kitchen when she spoke again, stilling his feet temporarily.

“You’re going to go make your sisters’ beds.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“ _Now_ , Josh.” she called after him, but he was already gone.

Back in the rec room, Josh pulled back the blanket draped over the entrance to their fort and crawled between the propped up couch cushions, shimmying his way along the short tunnel till he reached the roomy centre. Spread out on the ample pile of comforters, Chris looked up from his comic with barely suppressed anticipation in his eyes.

“What did your mom say?”

Josh thought to drag it out, maybe even pretend that she’d said no, but his excitement got the better of him.

“She said yeah.” He bent down and gathered up one of the comforters in his arms. “We’ve gotta give my sisters their stuff back… but yeah, you can stay.”

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Chris broke into a relieved smile. “Awesome.”

~*~

Chris was only vaguely watching the movie; his eyes following the images on the screen, but his thoughts were elsewhere. The laptop in question was working, much to his relief, though its outer case had suffered a rather impressive dent on one side. But Josh didn’t seem to care at all. Lying there alone, he let his mind wander. 

He was still sort of dumbstruck, but in a good sort of way, as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. Part of him wanted to talk about it with someone, but it occurred to him that the person he confided in the most was the very same guy who'd actually been there.

He glanced over at his phone, his fingers itching for distraction before an idea occurred to him that made him smirk. Opening his texts, he began composing a message to the brunette, thumbs quickly tapping on the screen as he channelled his inner Jessica, hoping to get a rise from his friend.

His thumbs stilled.

Joking aside, he couldn't deny that he was genuinely pretty smitten. Two weeks. Two weeks and he already knew, perhaps even long before that Sunday, long before any of it, though he hadn’t realised it fully. It was more than something physical; simple and complicated all at once.

_I think I…_

He hadn’t felt it before, but he was pretty certain of it. It wasn’t a bluebirds and hearing music kind of thing, but he couldn’t deny the warm feeling that lived in his chest and spread out in blossoming waves whenever he so much as thought of the brunette, particularly these last few weeks. Even that afternoon, building the fort, he’d spent most of the time picturing the dry smile such a stunt would provoke.

He heard the dorm room door close beyond the wall of sheets and deleted the half-finished message, returning his phone to the nightstand. A moment later, Josh peeled back the sheet with a pizza box in hand and a carrier laden with drinks hung over his arm.

“So?”

“The guy was pretty pissy, but I talked him down. They said thirty minutes, so…” He handed Chris the box with a smile.

“Free pizza?”

“Free pizza.”

“Hah, nice. Did you at least tip him?”

“Yeah, I tipped him.” Josh said incredulously as he sat down cross-legged beside him and rummaged through the carrier, “Couldn’t make him leave without one. Saved you fifteen dollars and I end up paying.” He handed Chris a can. “I thought you said this was on you?”

“What can I say? That's what you get for offering to go get it.” Chris replied with a wry smile.

But it seemed that, like the laptop, Josh didn't really care about that either, not if the smile tugging at his lips was anything to go by. Hunger getting the better of him, Chris opened the box and pulled free a slice, already chewing before his shoulders sank into the pillows. Watching Josh do the same, his thoughts returned to the unsent message and his smile broadened.

Yes, he really thought he did. Whatever that meant.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: [@messofcurls-creative](https://messofcurls-creative.tumblr.com/)


End file.
